


Torrent Family Vacation

by orphan_account



Series: Hijacking the Soft Wars AU [4]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Accidental vacation, Brothers, But he's too hard on himself, Crash Landings, Day At The Beach, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Friendship, Gen, Hardcase loves skinny dipping, Hurt/Comfort, Kix is a good medic, M/M, MIA - Freeform, Rescue, Soft Wars, Stranded, Tup is adorable, apparently my head canon is Rex hates thunderstorms, but not really, cuddling for warmth, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:16:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24272674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Hardcase chose that moment to emerge from the water, naked as the day he was decanted, hoisting an impressively large fish over his head.“I got lunch!” He grinnedOR: [Most of Torrent's Command staff is stranded on a desert island during a campaign. Soft brother shenanigans ensue]
Relationships: CT-21-0408 | Echo & CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555, CT-5597 | Jesse/CT-6116 | Kix, CT-6116 | Kix & CT-7567 | Rex, CT-6116 | Kix & Clone Troopers, Dogma & CT-5385 | Tup, Hardcase & CT-5385 | Tup, Hardcase & CT-6116 | Kix, Hardcase & CT-7567 | Rex
Series: Hijacking the Soft Wars AU [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1725256
Comments: 19
Kudos: 329
Collections: Open Source Soft Wars





	Torrent Family Vacation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Project0506](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Project0506/gifts).



> This was basically an ask on Tumblr. I didn't intend to write it in the Soft Wars AU, but lo and behold here we are. 
> 
> Projie wanted 'waiting to be rescued' trope with a side of 'cuddling for warmth' and please 'try to keep my crying to a minimum'. I am pretty sure I checked those boxes.

“So...is anybody gonna say it?”

Fives, sprawled out on a patch of sand he’d claimed as his own, didn’t even turn to face his brother.

“Say what, Echo?”

Echo sighed, shifting as if agitated, causing Tup to grumble from where he’d been using Echo’s shadow for shade.

“You know. How this is our life now.”

The jeering that erupted from the men all sprawled nearby was too overlapping to be intelligible, but the general consensus seemed to be ‘shut up’. They were all down to either just their blacks, or black bottoms only. No one enjoyed the feeling of sand under their armor and the tiny island they’d landed on seemed to be completely deserted.

Echo huffed. “I’m just saying.”

“We know what you’re saying.” The Captain’s voice was a little sharper than normal, but they all knew he was in pain and there was very little they could do about it, so he was immediately forgiven.“But do you think we could be missing for more than a day before you start in on the fatalistic tirades?”

“Captain.” Echo said. And there was a whole host of uncomplimentary sentiments tied up in that tone. Rex was obviously getting lax in his discipline. His men were getting too comfortable.

“Trooper.” Rex responded in the same tone. Yup, downright disrespectful is what it was.

“Everybody shut up,” Kix dropped into the sand beside the Captain with the medkit he’d retrieved from further down the beach. “The Captain is injured, so keep your complaints to yourself.” He punctuated his statement by helping (pushing) said Captain to lie back in the sand, pursing his lips at the groan that erupted from the man at the movement.

Hardcase chose that moment to emerge from the water, naked as the day he was decanted, hoisting an impressively large fish over his head.

“I got lunch!” He grinned, posing so that his bright blue geometric tattoo, trailing down his back and across his pecs and abs, shone brightly in the sunlight. Modesty had always been a somewhat slippery concept for the Vode, having grown up in such close quarters surrounded by bodies that all looked nearly identical to their own. It had certainly taken the Jedi some getting used to and many General’s simply refused to enter the barracks without first being announced.

“Good job Hardcase,” Kix nodded at the man. “Tup, think you can handle building a fire?”

Tup pushed himself up to his elbows and glanced around at the driftwood that was accumulated in several small piles nearby.

“Yes sir.”

“Just take it easy on that ankle.” Kix raised an eyebrow at him while his hands explored the Captain’s exposed torso. The bruising was concerning, but he was more worried about the potential for internal bleeding. “When I’m done with the Captain I’ll have a look at it.”

Fives sat up, sand clinging to the muscles of his back. “Maybe I should do that, Tup.”

“No,” Kix said, pulling a wide bandage from his kit to wrap the Captain’s broken ribs. “You three are going to swim out to that downed LAAT/i and retrieve anything that’s not nailed down. And collect the stuff that’s washed up on the beach down shore as well. Who knows how long we’ll be here, we need to see what our assets are.”

Fives and Echo grumbled as they stood, but made their way into the water, swearing at the cold water as well as Hardcase because what was he _some kind of animal?_

“It’s not that bad once you get used to it. Just go under once, you’ll be fine.”

“No way you ka-arrgghh!” Echo’s response was cut off by Fives jumping on him, sending them both crashing under the waves. Hardcase cackled and ran to catch up.

Kix rolled his eyes. “Children.”

“You’re the one that sent them together, Kix.”

“Yes I did. You’re welcome.”

Rex smiled, tight and strained, with his eyes closed. “Thank you.”

Kix hmm’d noncommittally. “Alright. That should do for now. Hopefully they can find a functioning scanner on board, but I can't see any evidence of internal damage. But you definitely have a couple broken ribs.Which you absolutely deserve for your little sacrificial stunt during the crash.”

Rex didn’t open his eyes, but he was not sufficiently cowed by the Medic's ire. "You’re welcome by the way.”

“I have a hard head, I would have been fine.” Kix grumbled, gathering a few large leaves and sticks from nearby the fashion a temporary shade around the Captain.

“Yes, but then I would have had to face Jesse when we get back and I do _not_ need my 2iC mad at me. I’d never see the good caf ever again.”

“Don’t die of internal bleeding and you’re forgiven.” Kix huffed. “Now try to get some rest. I’ll check back on you in a bit.”

Rex grunted something like an assent and threw his forearm over his eyes to block out the sun.

Kix glanced over toward the LAAT/i wreckage as he made his way to Tup. The ship was partially submerged about 100 meters off shore, still smoking slightly from the crash landing. Their words didn’t carry but one of the men was standing on the roof, gesturing wildly, while two more splashed around below. Kix just shook his head and dropped down in front of Tup. He had already had a small fire smoldering.

“Alright kid, your turn.” Kix gently moved Tup’s foot into his lap, feeling along the joint for swelling and testing his mobility. He glanced up at Tup’s face for signs of pain.

“So what do you think?”

Kix made an assessing noise, setting his foot to one side and brushing sand off his blacks.

“Probably just a sprain. Elevate it tonight, maybe soak it in the water for a while. If the boys bring back some more supplies I’ll wrap it for you. Should be alright in a few weeks if you take it easy.”

Tup rotated his foot carefully. “Thanks. But I meant about what Echo said.”

Kix shifted until he was sitting beside him. “Oh, that? I wouldn’t worry, vod’ika.”

“Why not?” Tup squinted toward shouting out at the LAAT/i and, counting three bodies still splashing around, looked back at Kix. “The Jedi Generals are all off on that special Council assignment. What makes you think they’ll be able to find us without them?”

  
Kix snorted pulling out a vibroblade to start descaling Hardcase’s fish.

“Who was deployed on this campaign with the 501st?”

Tup frowned slightly, pulling out his topknot and finger-combing his hair. “104th, 212th and 327th Sky?”

“Mmm-hmm,” Kix nodded, “And what do those three battalions have in common?”

Tup raised his eyebrows. “They’re all overdue for leave?”

“No...well yes, but,” Kix shook his head. “Him.” Tup followed his pointed finger to where the Captain was resting in Kix’s small shade shelter on the other side of the beach. “The Captain was batchmates with Commanders Cody, Wolffe and Bly.”

Tup jerked in surprise, inadvertently pulling his hair. “Ouch. Wait, really?”

“Really kid,” Kix handed him a second vibroblade and gestured toward the fish. “So enjoy this downtime while we have it. Because as long as we’re with him, there is no way those Battalions leave without us.”

* * *

The storm had rolled up off the water from out of nowhere and they’d all retreated to the tree-line for shelter. The emergency tents had been washed away with the ship and they hadn’t had time to build one that afternoon. That left the six of them all huddling under the tangled roots, ranging from the ridge of a sniper rifle to thicker than two troopers pressed together, that jutted in and out of the sand at the base of the trees.

Echo was seated under two tree roots twisted around one another and created a perfect arch nearly a meter into the air before disappearing back underground again.

Fives crouched beside him and touched his shoulder.

“C’mon Echo, you need to get some shuteye before watch.”

Echo glanced up from the device in his lap, a small multitool in one hand and a knife in the other.

“I know. I know. But if I can just get this working we might be able to get a message to the fleet.”

Tup looked over from where he was hugging his knees at the base of the nearest tree trying not to shiver. He looked like a half drowned tooka, his hair plastered in chunks to his forehead and cheeks with water that dripped from his chin. “You mean you could tell them where we are?”

Echo shrugged. “Well no, but I could make it transmit some kind of pattern or signal that could be tracked. And they’d know we’re alive.”

Fives rubbed a hand down his face and then massaged his neck. He was tired and sore from all the swimming that afternoon, but they’d managed finish retrieving the supplies from the ship before it fully submerged. They’d even scavenged a few more medical supplies for Kix as well as the communication device from the ship, so he knew it was worth it. That didn’t change the fact that he was still annoyed and tired and a little bit grumpy.

“That’s great Echo, but I still think it would be a good time to shut down for the night. It’s too dark to see anyway.”

Echo rolled his eyes, hearing what his brother wasn’t saying. “You can go to sleep without me Fives.”

“I know. But I’ll be cold.” The sun had tried to bake them all week, with everyone but the Captain sporting a bit of sunburn, but with the storm a cold front had rolled in Fives wasn’t looking forward to shivering through the night. He huffed and went to curl up next to Tup instead. “Tup is wet.”

“Yeah well I’m on watch when Kix comes back from his rounds so you won’t have to deal with that much longer.”

As if on queue, Kix emerged from the sheets of rain to their small sheltered spot under the trees. He ran a hand over his head to squeegee off some of the water and made a beeline to the Captain, laying prone a little ways away from the others under a knot of tree roots and leaves.

“How is he?”

Hardcase gripped one wrist loosely around his knees. “He was awake for a little while, but seemed to be in pain. I gave him the pills you said to, got him to drink some water, but not much.”

Kix hmm’d in response, using his hands to press to various spots along the Captain’s torso.

“I don’t think he likes the storm.” Hardcase said, somewhat absently.

Kix glanced up at him and then followed his gaze to Rex’s face where he was frowning. Thunder rolled overhead and he flinched.

“Rex? Can you hear me, Captain?” Kix put a hand on either side of the Captain’s face, shifting two fingers over his pulse. He peeled the Captain’s eyelids apart gently to check his pupil dilation, but Rex didn’t stir. Kix huffed and sat back on his haunches. “He’s unresponsive.”

“That’s not a good sign.” Hardcase observed quietly. On the other side of their shelter Echo and Fives had curled up together, trying to sleep.

Kix pursed his lips, debating how much to share. He had the men’s morale to consider, but with the Captain out of commission that left him in charge as the next highest ranked officer, and Hardcase after that. He glanced over his shoulder to see Tup sitting just outside the entrance to their primitive shelter, bucket on and blaster across his knees.

“No. It isn’t.” He placed a hand on Rex’s forehead and the Captain shifted just slightly toward him, chasing the touch. “He’s tachycardic. Low blood pressure. He has a slight fever. And there’s some...swelling in his abdomen that I can’t account for with the injuries I’ve already cataloged.” 

“What does that mean?” Hardcase asked. Kix was proud of him for how professional and steady he sounded. It made Kix’s next breath a little easier to take. But not by much.

“It means he’s not doing well. There’s more wrong with him than I can fix with just my hands and half a tube of bacta. I need to get him into a medbay on one of our ships. Soon.” Kix kept his voice even, his gaze carefully averted so as not to give away his worry, but he couldn’t hid the severity in his tone.

“Okay.” Hardcase nodded. “Then we will.”

Kix looked up and tried to smile, if for no other reason than how determined Hardcase looked to make it true. Hardcase held his gaze for a moment before sliding down, pressing as much of his body as possible alongside the Captain’s.

“Don’t worry, Cap. We’ll get you out of here in no time.” He murmured, threading an arm carefully across the man’s waist. “Get some rest Kix,” he said, eyes closing already. “It’s cold. Stay close.”

Kix sighed again and sat back, clenching and unclenching his fists a few times, racking his brain for some other treatment he could try. Reviewing his extensive feild medic training and triage experience trying to come up with something, anything, he could do.

But what he’d told Hardcase was true. Without supplies, not even a scanner, he couldn’t say for sure what was wrong with the Captain (speculation did nothing except spike his anxiety, so he avoided it). Even less what to do to fix it.

Kix started to remove his armor and looked up, feeling eyes on him. He met Fives’ gaze over Echo’s head. The ARC pursed his lips with concern, none of his usual playfulness in his eyes. His eyes flicked once to the Captain and then back to Kix again. Kix held himself still, wanting to neither give false hope to his friend, nor squash any he was still nurturing.

After a moment, Fives laid back down and closed his eyes.

Thunder and lighting cracked overhead and Kix saw the Captain flinch again, though his breathing stayed even but shallow.

Kix slid down on the Captain’s other side, pressing himself close for warmth and gripping Hardcase’s opposite elbow.

“Just like back home on Kamino, eh Kix?”

“Go to sleep, Shiny.”

* * *

“Commander! I think I have something!”

Cody hurried over from the other side of the Command tent. After a week of fighting the separatist infiltration on Scarif had finally been put down. The cleanup was underway and they were due to rendezvous with all three Battalion’s General’s in just under two rotations.

They were running out of time.

Which meant Cody was going to have to start getting a lot more creative with his excuses for why they weren’t leaving.

And they _weren’t_ leaving.

Not without Torrent’s missing officers.

And not without Cody’s little brother.

“What is it, Nitro?”

“I’m getting a signal from the Southern Quadrant. It’s weak, but it’s there.“

“What does it say?”

“Well, it doesn’t really say anything but here, listen.” The kid reached across his control board and flipped a few switches and the sound of static started to play from the speaker on his table. Cody frowned, turning his head just slightly to see the trooper who had come to stand at his elbow.

Then the static cut out, just for a moment. A second later it did it again. And again. In a predictable, discernible pattern the static cut in and out over and over again and Cody turned to look at the man standing behind him.

“What do you think?”

“If their equipment was damaged, I could see Echo or the Captain coming up with something like this.” Jesse nodded, settling into parade rest so he could grip his hands behind his back.

Cody nodded. “Alright, lets check it out then.” He put a hand on Jesse’s shoulder, the Lieutenant was the picture of professionalism, but Cody knew from personal experience the hell the last week and been for him. He squeezed once. “We’ll find them, yeah?”

Jesse dipped his chin just once. “Yes sir. But if this was all some elaborate plan to put me in charge so he could have another reason to promote me I’m going to have to kill him.” He smiled, sharp and shadowed.

Cody smirked. “I wouldn’t even stand in your way. Go get us a gunship. I’ll comm the others.”

Jesse didn’t quite salute before he turned and left the tent and Cody watched him go. He’d have to ask his brother about him. He normally would have worked with Rex on this campaign, but since he was MIA Jesse had stepped into the role, despite the stress of having lost contact with the majority of the most senior members of Torrent. He’d been ruthlessly competent, unerringly dependable and just subtle enough in his insubordination that Cody found himself biting back laughter more often than was appropriate.

Wolffe and Bly loved him.

He was definitely going to be asking Rex for the story of his recruitment at some point. And Cody had no doubt there was a story there.

With a nod to Nitro, the coordinates of the signal were sent to his wrist control and Cody activated his Comm.

“Wolffe, Bly. We think we’ve found them.”

* * *

Kix had started a round the clock rotation to monitor Rex's breathing and pulse, as well as to check once an hour for responsiveness. It was currently Tup’s watch. He wasn’t sure what the Medic’s plan was if the Captain suddenly took a turn for the worse, but he didn’t ask. Based on the lines around his mouth and the bags under his eyes that grew deeper and deeper as the week wore on, Tup worried Kix didn’t have a plan for if that happened.

Hardcase and Fives heard it first, whipping around in the waist deep water to stare off toward the horizon where the sun was climbing higher and higher in the late afternoon sky.

Moments later Echo looked up from where he was fiddling with the LAAT/i’s communication relay.

“Tup?”

“I hear it.” He breathed, rising to his feet without thinking and he hissed when his ankle protested. He squinted toward two small black dots On the horizon and watched breathlessly as grew bigger and bigger, the rumbling sound of engines in the distance getting louder as they did so.

“Kix!”

The medic jerked awake where he was trying to doze in the shade a few feet away, already scrambling toward the Captain’s prone form, jamming his fingers at his neck to feel for a pulse. “What is it?”He blinked and looked around to see the others all standing, staring out across the sprawling green ocean.

“Whats wrong with you- ” He stopped, his mouth dropping open. “Is that..?”

Hardcase let out a loud shout of triumph and jumped toward Fives, swinging his brother up into a bridal carry and spun him around, Fives was too busy celebrating to protest.

Echo started laughing and Tup turned to Kix with a grin that rivaled the unrelenting Scarif suns.

“They came.”

Kix smiled softly, moving his hand to take comfort in the rise and fall of the Captain’s chest.

“I told you they would, vod.”

The beach was a flurry of activity less than half an hour later. Tup was gathered into one of the gunships by hands and armor he didn’t recognize,plastoid painted a riot of colors flowed around them as it seemed each commander had brought a few of their own battalion to help with the rescue. He wrapped his arms around himself and shivered. His blacks were wet and clung to his skin, his hair brittle and dry and knotted where it fell from his bun. He stood in the door and watched as Echo and Fives were given the same treatment he had been, herded toward the ship by brothers in gold and grey, exchanging smiles and slaps on the back that were too familiar for them not to be troopers they knew previously.

Tup remembered then that as ARCs they had both probably served with the other battalions on more than one occasion. Behind them, the usually friendly and outgoing Hardcase had gone quiet and appeared to be glaring at the 104th troopers mingling on the beach.

Warmth engulfed his shoulders and Tup gripped the edges of a blanket before turning to look over to who’d brought it to him.

He smiled at the familiar blue ‘V’ painted on the troopers bucket.

“Thank’s Dogma.”

Dogma’s fingers twitched. “You’re always cold.”

Tup nodded. “I’m gonna use a weeks worth of water credits to take the longest, hottest shower _The Resolute_ can mange.”

Dogma’s bucket tilted, but he didn’t respond and Tup took a step closer to him and turned to look back out over the beach. HIs eyes went to where the Captain was being transferred to an emergency stretcher.

Tup couldn’t hear anything over the din of activity but he saw the stiff way the Wolfpack commander and the one from the 327th were standing as they watched the medics move him. The way Jesse wouldn’t let go of Kix’s hand even as he barked orders across the beach. He wasn’t sure why Jesse seemed to be the defacto Officer in charge, except that the men who outranked him were all standing in a tight circle around to listen to Kix. Someone, probably Jesse, had brought a blanket to the Medic too and he had one hand gripping it around his shoulders while he talked to the Commanders.

Once the Captain was settled on his stretcher the medics sloshed through the knee-deep water toward the gunship. Tup pressed himself to the bulkhead to let them through and by the time they’d finished strapping the Captain down to one of the pull out beds on the wall, the Commanders, Kix, Jesse and a handful of the mixed bag of troopers who’d been brought along had been loaded onto the ship. The rest stayed behind, cleaning up camp and loading into the other ship. Tup slumped toward Dogma as they lifted off.

“Tired?” Dogma asked, just barely audible over the whine of engines. Tup smiled and shrugged one shoulder. Yes. It had been a week of hot days and cold nights and constant work to find water and food and worrying over the Captain and would they really be rescued or _would they be stuck here forever…_

But Tup could see the char on Dogma’s armor, the dirt and grime indicative of several days of battle smeared across the other troopers. Compared to what they’d been through, he knew his week had been more like unsanctioned leave. So he didn’t say anything.

Still, he let himself slump into Dogma’s side, ignoring how his friend stiffened before he lifted an arm across his shoulders.

Tup must have been more tired than he realized because he dozed off for a few minutes, the gentle rocking of the gunship filled with his vode and the warm sunlight streaming in through the slats in the walls too tempting for his exhausted body not to indulge in. When he came back to himself there were still at least 20 minutes left until they arrive at the ship in orbit.

Across the way Jesse had put himself between Kix and the rest of the galaxy,bracketing him with a hand on either side. His forehead was pressed to the Medic’s and he could see his lips moving. The Lieutenant’s jaw and shoulders were tight, but the soft expression on Kix’s face warmed something in Tup’s chest and he made himself look away, not wanting to intrude on the moment.

In the jump seats opposite the doors Hardcase was slumped against Commander Wolffe, asleep. Wolffe was carrying on a conversation with the trooper on his other side and didn’t seem to notice Hardcase was there, except for the way he kept carefully not moving so Hardcase didn’t become dislodged and tumble to the floor.

Tup smiled and cocked his head. He wondered what the story was there.

On the floor near Hardcase’s feet, Echo and Fives had collapsed together, Fives was half in Echo’s lap, a mess of sandy wet blacks and limbs, using the blankets they’d been given as pillows. The three of them had taken most of the watch shifts since Tup was slightly injured and Kix had been taking care of the Captain. Tup chuckled softly when Fives hair tickled Echo’s nose and Echo shuffled in his sleep, shoving his brother slightly to one side.

Last, Tup turned to check in on the Captain. The medics had hooked him up to an IV, for which Tup was grateful, the Captain’s color was already looking better. They’d done their best, but he knew the small capfuls of water they’d been able to get into him had not been nearly enough and eating had been out of the question entirely.

Commander Cody was standing just to the side of the bed, at near parade rest. His bucket was still on, but he’d removed one glove and was pressing as much of his bare palm to the skin of the Captain’s shoulder as possible. The Commander of the 327th had removed his helmet and was kneeling with his head pillowed on his arms and gripping one of the Captain’s hands, leaning heavily into Commander Cody’s legs.

He’d been asleep, Tup realized, when they hit a bit of turbulence which jostled the ship and the Commander flailed outwards suddenly. Cody reached out and grabbed his shoulder to steady him. A few words were exchange and the 327th Commander smiled up at his batch mate with a raised eyebrow, teasing maybe. Commander Cody patted his shoulder a couple times and pushed his head back down to his arms.

Then he turned then to look at Rex, his hair shined bright in the sunlight pouring into the gunship and his non gloved hand bushed gently over it a couple times before returning to his shoulder.

Tup didn’t realize he was staring until Commander Cody looked up and his visor was staring right at him. Tup swallowed, unsure if he would be reprimanded for intruding on a private moment.

But after a beat Cody’s helmet dipped, just once. A nod. A thank you.

Tup tightened his hold on his blanket and dipped his chin once back, feeling impossibly honored and incredibly undeserving of the Commander’s thanks.

Dogma squeezed his shoulders.

“Hows your foot?”

Tup glanced down at the bandage around his ankle. “I’ll be fine.”

“You should sit.”

Tup nodded but instead turned to look at his reflection in Dogma’s visor.

“Thanks for coming for us, vod.”

Dogma’s helmet drew back slightly. “We weren’t going to leave without you.” He said, every bit of offense in his voice that Tup couldn’t see on his face.

“Yeah,” Tup smiled and looked out over his vode in the transport again. Sleeping. Recuperating. Safe. “I know, Dogma. Still.” He dropped his head against his brother's shoulder. 

Dogma's reply was nearly inaudible.  "You're welcome."

Tup sighed and closed his eyes, content to doze for the rest of the ride back home.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you had fun! Please feel free to leave a review and don't forget to check out the [Soft Wars Series!](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1683775)!


End file.
